So there I was, being the proverbial fly-on-the-wall when a 40ish year-old man who appeared to be from the easternmost quarter of the Mediterranean basin came into the church.
He saw the priest in his vestments and bee-lined toward him.
"Father, I have a question and I need an answer" the man said.
The priest responded, "Let me hear your question, I will give it my best shot".
The man replied "I was told by another priest that if I get a tattoo then it is a sin and I won't be able to receive Communion".
The priest was clearly caught flat-footed by the question.
"Paul tells us that our body is a temple and we are not to defile it, but I am not sure that is what applies here" the priest responded, perhaps to buy time.
"Jesus tells us, in Mark Chapter 7. that we are not made unclean by what goes into us but by what comes out of us" he continued.
"So you can see, the nature of your tattoo is very important. What vibe will people get when they see your tattoo? Will they be inspired to do good things or toward evil? Your tatt is a message that you broadcast to the world" the priest said.
"Finally, the matter of free-will comes into play. If you were in prison and were threatened with rape and getting beaten if you didn't wear some gang's tatts, then it really isn't a choice that you can make freely, right? You were coerced into the act and the majority of the guilt does not rest on your shoulders."
The priest ended with "If you decide to get the tatt, let me see what you got."
One point that he left out, perhaps because of time constraints, was that if he got a tatt that made him unemployable then he would not be able to provide for his family. Making decisions that make it impossible to provide for yourself or your family is, generally, a sin. It is similar to burning down the family business.
ERJ, I am of a previous generation that did not do tattoos and have never really been tempted to get one. I have seen some remarkable ones and ones that were discrete, but never once that I can think of has someone's tattoo led me closer to God. I understand that they are often important to the person with the tattoo and not so much to the wider world, but that meaning is quite often not clear to observers.
ReplyDeleteI will also say that the tattoos I might have gotten 30 years ago I likely would have regretted today. My "advice", if it were asked, would be to wait ten years and then see how you felt about it.
I moved to the Bible belt not long ago, it is a starkly different place than the rest of the country, but also very much the same? The high school kids here for a spell, all took to getting a tattoo on their one knee at 18. This was in significance to their devotion to God, a symbol of them kneeling before The Lord. When two of the popular kids did it, peer pressure kicked in and it became a trend. So the message was positive, but its genesis, not.
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ReplyDeleteA forty year-old man getting his first tattoo is probably getting one as a memorial to the passing of a parent, wife or child.
ReplyDeleteThe priest asking to see it when it was done was thoughtful from two standpoints. One: If the man recently suffered a loss and is grieving then some time with somebody trained to be supportive is a good time to talk about it. Two: If the man isn't getting his tatt due to grieving, knowing that your priest or pastor will be looking for or at it is likely to nudge it toward "less spicy".
"1 Corinthians 6:12 states, "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial" (see also 1 Corinthians 10:23). Might tattoos be permissible? Maybe. But, I am not fully convinced they are beneficial. " S. Michael Houdmann
ReplyDeleteBaby boomer here. Never seriously thought about getting a tattoo but if I did get one it would be of my childhood hero…Might Mouse (the more robust one, not the skinny one). “🎶Here I come to save the day…🎶”.
ReplyDeleteRecent research shows tattoo inks adversely affect the immune system. It will be several years before the nature and scope of this effect is fully understood. Several tattoo inks have been connected to burning during MRI imaging, granulomas, and keloid formation.
ReplyDeleteThe FDA has issued a fact sheet on tattoo inks which should be read and understood before undergoing tattoos:
'Tattoos & Permanent Makeup: Fact Sheet'
24 October 2024
The FDA has generally abdicated their role in evaluating tattoo inks as cosmetics, only forcing recalls when sickness outbreaks result from their use.
10 x 25 mm - This is an excellent point. There is, that I know, not a great deal of research in this area, nor is there really an incentive to do it.
DeleteI’m from an older generation when a tattoo on men, especially in the military, was a rite of passage. Now it seems most of the young people have them. Used to be if you saw a female with a tattoo, it meant the circus was in town. How will these young people feel about tattoos if they reach their 70’s and beyond?
ReplyDeleteA classic from back when SNL was funny: https://youtu.be/vBmvfW7WOUc
DeleteI never could understand the big todo over tattoos, however if they are toxic and affect health it should be looked into more.
ReplyDeleteGrumpy Old Macdonald
Tats have cost more than one person their jobs of choice... just sayin...
ReplyDeleteEspecially when visible or near their face. Ignoring a tattoo in that area when meeting them for first time is very difficult. As an employee, you are representing your employer and any distractions from that goal are not good for the employer.
DeleteIt idea of condemning tats, comes from a behavior a long time ago back in the Old Testament where pagan worshipers would cut, burn or scar or tat themselves. It was in fact a form of idolatry. The priests of Baal would cut themselves and perform rites to attempt the burning of the sacrifice.(to no avail) The OT Law asked for an unblemished lamb or goat as an example of a pure and clean sacrifice to God. Hence why Jesus was a perfect sinless atonement. Not withstanding the chance of Hep B, and chemical reaction to the ink. I remember when piecing were all the rage. but some folks got allergic reactions to the Nickle in the studs in their bodies. Side effect was itchy butt syndrome. No joke.
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